Automatic toll-box



(No Model.)

I. H. PARNHAM.

AUTOMATIC TOLL BOX. No. 451,922.

Patented May 12,1891.

Inventor; l W7 V` A we Nonms mens cm, Fumo-uwe., wAsHmofuu, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries..

ISAIAH H. FARNHAM, OF WELLESLEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW ENGLAND- TELEPHONEAND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC TOLL-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,922, dated May 12,1891.

Application filed February 13, 1891. Serial No. 381,366. (No model.)

cessible to the customer, who after' makingV the call and being answeredby the operator states the place with which communication is desired,and is then informed of the proper amount of toll and instructed toplace the same in a slot or slots designated for the purpose, andwherein the tolls being so deposited are caused to transmit certaindistinctive signals to the central or other receiving station, wherebythe operator is enabled to ascertain the value of the deposited coin orcoins, and as a consequence to check the amounts and to know whether theproper amount has been deposited. 5

Many forms of coin-controlled-telephone apparatus have been devised, butthose operating on the above principles seem the most practical. Priorto my invention one Way in which the deposition of the coin was enabledto send its distinctive signal whereby any one coin can be distinguishedfrom another has been toinclude in the battery-circuit of thetelephone-transmitter a suficient number of circuit-breaking contacts,which are normally closed, so that the integrity of thetransmitter-circuit maybe maintained unimpaired during the operation ofsaid transmitter. The coin in its passage from the slot to thedeposit-bok, according to its size, acts upon one or more of suchcontacts, and thereby breaks the circuit of the battery as often as itoperates a contact, causing one, two, or more clicks in thereceiving-telephone of the distant operator,who, by the number of clicksheard, is apprised of the value of the in oney deposited. It isnecessary to the operation of this coin device that the toll-stationreceiver be first removed from its switch-hook, so that the telephonebranch at such station may be connected with the line, and as thecustomer has already had to remove the said receiver to give his orderit is only required that he refrain from replacing it While depositingthe money.` There is, however, a practical defect in thisorganization-namely, that the several 5 5 contacts in the directtransmitter-battery circuit are, in fact, so many points of weakness,all of which are likely after a short period of Work todevelop highresistance and consequently imperfect transmission. As is well 6o known,the transmitter proper and its battery are included in a short localcircuit, which also includes the primary helix of an induction-coil, thereceiving-telephone andsecondary helix of said induction-coil being in abranch of the main circuit controlled by the automatictelephone-supporting switch.

In the construction of automatic toll-boxes embodying the ideas to whichI have referred as many as seven delicate contacts have been 7'ocontemplated, all included in the transmitter local circuit. A verylittle .resistance in the local circuit of a transmitter is fatal to itsgood work, and each of these contacts is a germ of great resistance.

The object of my invention is to avoid this practical defect, andWithout interference with the simplicity of the device to provide anapparatus which will be equally effective in del termining the value ofthe money deposited 8o and much less liable to get out of order. I Y dothis by withdrawing the several contacts from the directtransmitter-battery circuit;'

by providing` a shunt-circuit for the said battery; by constructing theseveral contacts in the form of circuit-closers, so that they arenormally open instead of normally closed; by including the said contactsin multiple-arc branches of the said. shunt-circuit, and byso arrangingthem that any coin in its transit 9o shall operate and momentarily closevthe required number of said branches successively to give thedistinctive signal, each contact `when operated in turn acting toestablish a shunt-circuit for the battery, short-circuiting thetransmitter and its primary helix. This plan removes all liability ofimperfect speechtransmission due to dirty or lightly-made contacts andgives to the operator a good signal.v

I have found in practice that the signal proroo duced by shuntingthebattery from the transmitter and coil is even more distinct than isobtained by breaking the circuit. I find it often useful, also, toprovide a vibrator or vibratory circuit-breaker, for producing anunmistakable sound or buzz on the telephonecircuit, and one which cannotbe imitated.

In the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure l is anelevation, partly in section, of a telephone outfit provided with a tolldevice constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view,including a diagram, of the connections and a front sectional elevationof the chute-inclosing boX; and Fig. 3 is a diagram indicating amodification.

C is the inclosing case of the toll-depositing apparatus, and a thebackboard thereof.

B is the call-bell and generator; Tv the transmitter, and t thereceiving-telephone.

The action of the usual automatic switch when the telephone is removedtherefrom is to t connect the said telephone and the secondary chute e.shown, of a series of reversed inclines, along which the coins may roll.

strip o, (shown in Fig. 1, but omitted for clearnessv in Fig. 2,) andare kept in line and maintained onr edge partly by reason of the inclineof the backboard and partly by means of the several guide-strips g h g2g', dre.

L L are respectively the conductors of the telephone branch of the mainline, and 7 and 8 are the conductors of the battery transmitter-circuit.Two other conductors and .e lead from the poles of said battery,respectively, to constitute-the mainsof the normallyopen shunt-circuit.They have no connection 'with each other at any time, except when unitedthrough any one of a series of circuitclosers or circuit-changers F. Ihave shown seven such circuit-changers, having, respectively, movablecontact-pieces F to F6, and fixed contact-pieces f to f6, eachcircuit-changer, therefore, comprising a pair of contact-pieces, whichclose the shunt-circuit when allowed to make contact with each other; Itis not desirable that the larger coins shall actuate all of thecircuit-changers, and double guidestrips are therefore provided, in amanner well understood, so that, as in the upper inoline, for example, asmall coin, as a ten-cent piece, may run behind the inner guide g andstrike the contact-lever F, while aooin slightly larger, such as anickel live-cent piece, will run withy its edge over the strip g, butbehind the guide-strip h, and will therefore refrain from striking F,butiwill strike and operate F. Where it is intended that coins ofdifferent sizes shall operate the same circuitchanger, the lever thereofis made with a They are prevented i from falling outwardly by the frontguardplurality of ends, each ofwhich may be associated with its ownguide-stop. This, however, is no part of my invention, and is referredto here simply in the way of general application. The movablecontact-pieces may, as shown, be provided with retractin g springs, or,as is obviously equivalent, they may themselves be formed of springs, ormay be hung on arbors or pivots depending on the force of gravity aloneto holdthem normally away from their complementary fixed points. Thewire of the shunt-circuit is branched to all of the said movablecontact-pieces F, as indicated by the alternately long and short brokenlines; and the wire z, connected with the opposite pole of the battery,is in like manner branched to all of the fixed contact-pieces f. It isclear, therefore, that the several contacts each form discontinuousbridges between the two conductors a: and z of the shunt-circuit, andthat Wherey any of the said bridges is made continuous the shunt-circuitis closed, and shunts the current of the ,batltery from the primaryhelix of the inductioncoil, thereby developing a transient but strongcurrent in the secondary of said coil and in the main circuit connectedtherewith, which current in the distant receiver t2 is transformed intosound, manifesting itself as a click.

The several bridges are made continuous when a coin of proper size,passi-ng through the chute, strikes their lever ends, bringing any oneof the movable pieces F into contact with its corresponding fixedpiecef. The circuit-changers are so arranged, as before eX- plained,that coins of differing denominations will actuate a different number ofcontacts, and thus close the shunt-circuit a different number of times,and the operator readily understands the value of the coin deposited bythe number or order of the clicks heard. Each closure of the circuit isof course but momentary, the resiliency or gravity of the movablecontact bringing it back to its normal position as the coin passes on.

I may note here that instead of constructing the shunt-circuit round thebattery it may with equal efficiency be arranged round the primary helixof the induction-coil. It will be seen that since none of thecircuit-changers or contact pairs are in the direct transmittercircuitthe said circuit cannot be affected by the formation of a highresistance or other fault at any of them.

It is sometimes desirable that a more pronounced and unmistakable soundshall be produced by the operation of the contacts than they alone wouldbe able to effect. For this purpose I provide a vibratory circuitbreakeror buzz-producer M. This I include in the shunt-circuit, and itisadapted' toA be actuated and to rapidly interrupt and complete the-saidcircuit as soon as the said circuit is first completed through any oneof the contact-pairs F. It'can ofcourse be connected in either of theconductors w or yat any point IOO IIO

nearer to the battery than the first occurring pair. In the drawings Ihave shown it as being in the circuit of wires z, which connects withone of its terminals, leading the circuit through the electro-magnet ofthe instrument lll, then by Wire r to the automatic vibratorycontact-points m, and thence by wire y to the fixed point j" of thenearest pair of contacts. The addition of this device to the toll-boxproduces a click which is also a buzz and which cannot be mistaken forany other sound.

It is of course evident that, if desired, the vibratory circuit-breakercould be so located in the shunt-circuit that only coins of givendenomination Would produce the buzz, all others producing simply theclick or a plurality of clicks. Il", for example, the vibrator Wereincluded in circuit between the fixed contact-piecesf and f4, the dollarpiece only being capable of acting' on the contact pair F6 it would onlybe operated by the transit of v the dollar, and the buzz Wouldat alltimesindicate the deposition of that coin.

In Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which the induction-coil isdispensed with, the transmitter T and battery b being inthe mainlinecircuit L L. The normally-open shuntcircuit is composed of the Wires ocand fg, and can be closed by any of the circuit-closers F, when thebattery-current Will be diverted from the main circuit.

1. The combination, in an automatic tollbox for telephone pay-stations,with the transmitter-battery, the direct circuit thereof, and theinduction-coil primary included therein, of a normally-discontinuousshunt-circuit arranged round the said battery or primary helix, and aseries of pairs of contacts or circuit-closers adapted, respectively, toclose the said shunt-circuit, and thereby to Yshunt the battery-currentfrom the said primary helix, the several pairs of contacts beingarranged in the path of a coin deposited in said box, substantially asdescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, in anautomatic toll-box, of a battery, a direct circuit therefor, and atelephone-transmitter included therein with a normally-discontinnousshunt-circuit for the said battery and a series of circuit-closin gcontacts in multiple-arc branches of said shunt-circuit, each adapted tobe actuated by the deposition of 'a coin and to close the saidshunt-circuit, thereby changing the electrical condit'ionof the maincircuit and transmitting a signal to a distant receiver includedtherein.

3. In an automatic toll-box for telephonelst-ations, the combination ofa coin-chute with a normally-open shunt-circuit of thetransmitter-battery and a series of circuitclosing contacts thereforarranged successively in the said coin-chute and in multiple arc witheach other in said circuit, each one when actuated being adapted toclose said circuit, and each provided With an actuatingfinger extendingto different lengths in the said coin-chute, substantially as described.

4c. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, in anautomatic telephonetoll'box, of a transmitter-circuit including atransmitter, a battery therefor, and the primary helix of aninduction-coil Wit-h a normally-open shunt-circuit of said battery, acoin-chute, and circuit-changers located successively therein andadapted to be operated by coins traversing said chute, eachcircuitchanger being adapted when so operated to close saidshunt-circuit, and thereby to send a signal over a circuit connectedWith the secondary helix of said induction-coil.

5. In an automatic toll-box for telephonestations, a series ofcircuit-closers located successively in acoin-chute, one or more ofwhich are adapted to be operated by the passage of coins through saidchute, according to the size of said coins, a battery, a directtransmittercircuit for said battery, including a transmitter and theprimary helix of an induction-coil, and an independent but normally-opencircuit, also connected with saidbattery,including the saidcircuit-closers, in parallel with eachother and adapted to vbe closed bythe operation of any one of them, and thereupon to divert the current ofsaid battery from said transmitter-circuit for the purpose of sendingasignal, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic toll apparatus for telephone-stations, thecombination of a battery, a transmitter, and one helix of aninductioncoil in circuit therewith, an independent signaling-circuit,also connected With said battery and constituting a normally-openshuntcircuit of low resistance therefor, an automatic vibratingcircuit-breaker included in said signalingcircuit, and a series ofcircuitclosers arranged in line in a chute and in parallel in saidindependent circuit, one or more of said circuit-closers being adaptedto be operated by coins traversing said chute, and when operated toclose the said independent circuit through the said vibratorycircuit-breaker for the purpose of inducing signaling-currents in thesecondary circuit of said induction-coil, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 5th day of February, 1891.

ISAIAH H. FARNHAM.

Witnesses:

GEo. WILLIS PIERCE, V. M. BEETHoLD.

IOO

